Mike Dolce Confident Cris Cyborg Will Be Better at 135lbs; Believes She Beats Ronda Rousey Any Day

There have been more than just a few questions about Cris “Cyborg” Santos and her possible move down to 135 pounds for a chance to fight in the UFC and to face women’s champ Ronda Rousey.

When recently appearing on UFC Tonight, former light heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz, who serves as one of Cyborg’s MMA managers, commented that he knows a cut to 135 pounds for the former Strikeforce champion would be awfully rough. He even mentioned the possibility of a warm-up fight for Cyborg once she makes the move and debuts in the UFC before facing Rousey with the championship on the line.

The man that will be in charge of getting Cyborg down to 135 pounds will be famed MMA nutritionist and weight cutting guru Mike Dolce, and he’s excited for the challenge and the chance to start working with a high-level athlete like Santos.

“I have every intention of working with Cris Cyborg once her UFC contract is finalized. Right now we’re circling the drain, we’re waiting for the go ahead, but Cris she’s been on vacation in Brazil. If she was here in the United States, she and I already would have been working together. So she’ll be back, her contract will be signed hopefully soon, and as soon as she has a date and an opponent, then it’s game on, I will be working with Cris Cyborg,” Dolce told MMAWeekly.com this week.

Dolce has a history of working with fighters either making a move to a new weight class for the first time, or helping previously troubled athletes cut weight more effectively and in a healthier manner than just sweating it out in a sauna.

He believes his track record is proof enough that he could get Cyborg down to 135 pounds in a healthy way, and she’d be as good at that weight as she ever was in her previous weight class of 145 pounds.

“There’s a couple ways to answer and the first way is going to be a little less than humble – I’m the only guy in the world that can get Cris Cyborg on weight and healthy. I only say that because I have the history. I’m only going to point to my resume when you look at Rampage (Jackson). Rampage was 260 pounds when he came into the fight with Lyoto Machida. He came out there and made 205 pounds easily and he beat Machida. Johny Hendricks is 215 pounds, started working with me, he’s beat (Jon) Fitch, (Josh) Koscheck and (Martin) Kampmann. Johny probably is the biggest welterweight in the UFC, and he’s destined to be a world champion. Thiago Alves, Chael Sonnen was 233 pounds six weeks before the Michael Bisping fight in Chicago,” Dolce explained.

“Nobody can say that any of my athletes ever look unhealthy or ever underperform as a result of their weight cut.”

Dolce had a chance to meet with Cyborg in Los Angeles before she traveled home to Brazil recently, and he knows the kind of unlocked potential she has inside. He hopes to have the key to unleash the beast, and make Cyborg the best 135-pound fighter on the planet.

“She’ll be 135 pounds, it will be the healthiest she’s been her entire career, and it will be the best performance of her entire career or I would not have taken the job. I can’t risk having an athlete underperform as a result of a weight cut. I would never jeopardize an athlete’s health. A lot of athletes come to me and they want me to help them drop a weight class or two, and I’ve turned a lot of huge names down because it’s just not safe, it’s not healthy,” said Dolce.

“At 135 pounds, Cris Cyborg will be the best of her career. She will be the greatest female fighter in the world. She will achieve legendary status at 135 pounds. At 145, she’s too heavy, she’s slower at 145. She’ll be faster at 135, she’ll be more reactive, more flexible, more mobile, and she’ll be stronger. She’ll produce more force per pound of her body weight than she can at 145; I guarantee it.”

As far as the whole idea of a “warm up fight,” Dolce doesn’t get into negotiations for his fighters when it comes to contracts or fight promotion, he leaves that up to them and their management teams. In his mind however, Cyborg won’t need any warming up once she’s working with him and making the move to 135 pounds.

If Cyborg fights Ronda Rousey first, Dolce believes she will be crowned the new UFC women’s bantamweight champion.

“Cris Cyborg could be the world champion today,” said Dolce. “Whenever Cris fights for the title, she’ll win the title. So if they want one fight or five fights, whoever she fights, she’ll beat. Whether it’s Ronda Rousey for the title, or it’s Sara McMann or Miesha Tate, but there’s a lot of tough girls, but whoever she fights, she’ll beat.”

Not a huge Cyborg fan, but I’ve come to believe that Rousey is classless and trashy. Hope Cyborg smashes her.

b-soc

If Cyborg can get to 135 and be healthy without completely draining herself, I think she will dismantle Rhonda. But given that Cyborg has had trouble making 145 in the past, I just can’t see it happening.

Mark McDowall

I think if she makes 135 with Dolce she will be faster, stronger, and meaner than before. I think she will KO Rousey…I don’t think anyone has tested her jaw yet and Cyborg will test it BIG TIME!!

Barry Obarma

It will be an exciting match, but probably chaotic like her fight with Gina Carano. The thing is, Cyborg will be bum rushing forward, giving Rousey the opportunity to throw her, but even from bottom Cyborg is like the tasmanian devil. I’d like to see how Dolce can work his magic, because Cyborg goes into her fights looking absolutely ripped. If she is to lose that much weight with such little body fat, I’m not sure what’s gonna happen. The difference between her and Hendricks, Rampage etc, is that those dudes don’t have sculpted beach bodies. They have body fat to burn off. I can’t see Cyborg losing another 10lbs without feeling it on her strength and energy levels, but lets see what Dolce brings out of the bag.

Fox

Barry…you are forgetting one important thing. At 145 lbs., Cyborg is on the juice. If she is natural, 145 lbs. will be EASY. Dolce knows this which is why he is making all these guarantees. It won’t be his “genius” that gets her to 135…it will be the fact that she eats a sensible diet and jettisons the roids. .

that man jim

Sonnen looked like **** for the Bisping fight. He looked drained and weak, and didn’t look in top form at all.

Why is he saying otherwise?

Mike Little

Hate to say it, but Cyborg wins this one. I love Rhonda, I love her attitude and of course, her Judo, but Cyborg is a man in wolves clothing.

Timothy Malone

I think Cyborg should take a warm-up fight at the new weight but Dana White probably doesn’t want her to. If she loses it ruins the mega-fight, and plus her going in without a fight to shake ring rust likely makes it easier for the UFC’s new superstar Rousey to pick up the win.

Rousey has turned off America with her ignorance and big mouth. Cyborg is the cure and the hope in destroying Rousey forever. Please beat the hell out of the Rhonda myth.

JOE SHINE

Please Cyborg make the 135 limit and set to destroy big mouth Rhonda. please make the weight.

JOE SHINE

Rousey is hated now

rfterminator

The reason she is is Brazil and NOT signing a UFC contract and preparing to fight is what??! A vacation?!! I think NOT… remember, she has been on vacation since 2011, when she last fought and was stripped of her championship belt due to steroids. But she needs more vacation right now?! C’mon THINK. Once she signs a contract with the UFC, they can test her for steroids when they see fit. Could it be she is in Brazil getting steroids out of her system before coming to US to sign with UFC and prepare to fight? Why else would she not be training and losing weight as gradually as possible. The slower and more gradual the weight loss, the safer. So I think she is lying about being on a vacation, when she hasn’t worked since 2011, and the UFC are knocking on her door RIGHT NOW.